“He who knows best knows how little he knows.”
- Thomas Jefferson
BRIDGES OVER TROUBLED WATERS: Despite the “united together” theme, day one at the Democratic National Convention got off to a very rough start, but ended on high note as Democrats moved swiftly to head off dissention in their ranks before it subsumed their four-day brotherly lovefest. After much gloating and finger wagging at Republican disarray last week, Democrats began their convention with the news of a Trump bump in the polls, a Russian email scandal and the DNC Chair’s subsequent resignation. Though the protests that have ushered in the week are larger and more vocal than those in Cleveland, they were more than offset by powerful speeches by First Lady Michelle Obama, Senator Cory Booker, progressive icon Elizabeth Warren - and Bernie Sanders doubling down on his endorsement of Hillary Clinton. We expect the healing process to continue with speeches by President Bill Clinton tonight and President Obama on Wednesday evening.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE: Emails have been a recurring nightmare for Democrats all year long - this time with DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz in a starring role resigning under pressure after thousands of internal emails revealing a coordinated effort to stop Bernie Sanders were uncovered and released by suspected Russian hackers, creating an uproar within the party and initiating an FBI probe to boot. She’s been a scapegoat for Democrats on a number of fronts, even though her supporters point to the good she’s accomplished for the party – including raising record sums of money and working tirelessly in FL and across the country on behalf of Obama’s re-elect. Team Clinton has been swift and authoritative in trying to turn the page, but the outrage felt by Sander’s most fervent supporters won’t go away overnight and our friends in the media likely won’t let it.
BARNBERNER: Fissures in the Democratic ranks continued to show as Sanders supporters were welcomed to Philly by a new dumpster fire with the DNC email expose and revelations of manipulation by party officials, the selection of Senator Tim Kaine and residual unease with Clinton. Proving he’s no Ted Cruz, Sanders energized the delegates by delivering a barnburner of a speech on behalf of his ideals and Hillary Clinton. But we think there’s more work to be done and expect Sanders to make more appearances this week and throughout the campaign this fall. Featuring progressive speakers like Sanders, Warren, and Michelle Obama was a prescient kickoff strategy and we think that it will quell most - but not all - of the anger that still burns on the far left.
TRADE R.I.P.: Clinton’s and Trump’s veep picks have long been pro-free traders and have praised the Trans Pacific Partnership as well as other trade pacts (as recently as last week). But in this unconventional election year (and bleeding into 2017), corporate America should brace itself for a continued assault on trade deals as Kaine and Governor Mike Pence are already whitewashing their pro-trade pedigrees and Trump is expected to relentlessly paint Clinton and Kaine as pro-free traders in an effort to win over voters in the Rust Belt and will gloss over any difference he has with his own running mate.
DISSECTING THE PARTY PLATFORMS: The Republican Convention concluded last week and the Democratic Convention officially kicked off last night. We put together a comparison of each party’s platform to help you better understand the differences and similarities in the policy agendas for the coming year. You can read the comparison here.
THE PACE OF PAYMENT REFORM QUICKENS; CMS ANNOUNCES THREE NEW BUNDLED PAYMENT MODELS: Our Healthcare Policy Analyst Emily Evans shared her insight on the new payment models, their focus on cardiac care and hip/femur fractures, and CMS’s signal for more models to come. You can read her piece here.
STAYING FOCUSED ON NEUSTAR’S LEGAL FIGHT WITH TELCORDIA: Our Telecommunications-Media Policy Analyst Paul Glenchur shared his insight on the FCC approval of a major contract, shifting it from Neustar to Telcordia, and why investors should keep the legal battle on the radar. You can read his piece here.
USAF TO DRAMATICALLY CHANGE ITS PLANNED FUTURE PROCUREMENTS: Our Senior Defense Policy Advisor LtGen Emo Gardner shared his thoughts on the United States Air Force’s conclusion that it is not capable of defeating its adversaries in 2030, completely revamping its program of record. You can read his piece here.
STICK A FORK IN IT: HEALTH INSURANCE MERGERS HEAD TO $2.85B BREAK-UP FEE END: Our Healthcare Policy Analyst Emily Evans shared lessons learned from recent healthcare mergers, including reimbursement leverage becoming not as important as innovation, and how the scale through horizontal integration did not get a warm reception. You can read her piece here.
DASHINING THE NINE DASHED LINE: Our geopolitical analyst Dan Christman shared his insight on the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s announcement regarding Philippines/China disagreements over islands, shoals, and economic zones in the South China Sea and why it was momentous by any measure. You can read his piece here.
SUPREME COURT NET NEUTRALITY REVIEW UNLIKELY TIL 2017-2018 COURT TERM: Our Telecommunications-Media Policy Analyst Paul Glenchur discussed why he expects further lower court proceedings to delay Supreme Court action by a year, extending an unfavorable regulatory climate for ISPs. You can read his thoughts here.
REPLAY | BREXIT IMPLICATIONS – A 360° ANALYSIS: In case you missed it, we began a series of calls on post-Brexit implications. Our first call, in conjunction with the international law firm of Squire Patton Boggs, examined Brexit’s legal and procedural implications. You can listen to the replay here.
